First Peace (Wakan-Tanka)— Coming to Principle Gallery, June 2024
The first peace, which is the most important, is that which comes within the souls of people when they realize their relationship, their oneness, with the universe and all its powers, and when they realize that at the center of the universe dwells Wakan-Tanka, and that this center is really everywhere, it is within each of us. This is the real peace, and the others are but reflections of this. The second peace is that which is made between two individuals, and the third is that which is made between two nations. But above all you should understand that there can never be peace between nations until there is known that true peace, which, as I have often said, is within the souls of men.
—Black Elk, The Sacred Pipe (1947)
This is another new painting headed in June to the Principle Gallery for my 25th annual solo show. This is a 24″ high by 48″ wide canvas that is titled First Peace (Wakan-Tanka).
The title is taken from the passage from Black Elk, the Oglala Lakota medicine man who died in 1950 after a most interesting life that saw him taking part in some of the important events in the history of the Native American people. As a youth, Black Elk fought at Little Big Horn then later survived the Indian Wars that took place in the aftermath of Little Big Horn as well as the Wounded Knee Massacre, in which he was wounded. He also performed with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show, traveling to Europe to perform for Queen Victoria. After his time with Buffalo Bill, he later converted to Roman Catholicism though he still embraced his Native American beliefs and the visions that made him a medicine man. He was able to rectify the seeming differences between the two in such a way that a case for his beatification (sainthood) has been opened by the Catholic Church in recent years.
His words above spoke to me as to what I was seeing in this painting. I saw it as a deep meditation, a finding of some vast inner peace which reflects outward to the world. And in response, the world reflects back in kind. In short, there is beauty and tranquility in this world for those with beauty and tranquility in their souls.
This piece might well represent my own version of Wanka-Tanka, which translates from the Lakota as Great Spirit. Or at least, recognizing that first peace within myself.
It certainly feels that way.
First Peace (Wakan-Tanka) is included in Continuum: The Red Tree at 25 which opens with an evening reception on Friday, June 14, 2024, at the Principle Gallery in beautiful Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. I will be attending the opening. Hope to see you there.
Redtree Times 